Adrienette part of the Mystery of Chloe B
by ArollaPine
Summary: In "The Mystery of Chloe B." there is a scene where Adrien asks Marinette to dance. And Chloe sees two things: that Adrien hugged Marinette tighter, and they left the birthday party together, holding hands. Who wants to know how it happened? :-)
1. Just a friend?

_**Spoilers alert!**__ Beware that this story was based on the script of 10 minutes of "Troublemaker" episode._

x x x

Adrien Agreste still couldn't believe what he had just learned. How was it possible that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was in love with him? She had never even said a word that would indicate that she had some warmer feelings for him. She never flirted with him or threw her arms around him, unlike Chloe Bourgeois, who did it all the time, although she wasn't in love with him at all.

Adrien was sitting in his room and tried to figure out how he could have missed all signs.

"Stop worrying!" Plagg mumbled, eating – as usual – his smelly camembert.

"I'm not worrying." Adrien replied immediately. "I'm _wondering_."

"About what?"

"How I haven't noticed…"

"Ah, right. Typical…" Plagg murmured.

"What do you mean? Why is it typical?"

"You really think you're the first Cat Noir with whom I have to pass through the pain of the first love?"

"What love?" Adrien outraged. "Marinette is just…"

"How many times are you going to say that?!" Plagg interrupted before Adrien finished with '_just a friend_'. "You know, if they give me camembert every time you say that, I wouldn't be able to eat such tones of cheese!"

"But that's true! She's my friend! I don't want to lose her."

"Now you're saying the same Ladybug told you once." Plagg noticed.

"Do you really have to do this?" Adrien grimaced. "Don't you think that I've been already upset?"

"Not enough, apparently." Plagg muttered.

"What should I do now?" Adrien wondered.

"Invite her to go out with you."

"Have you lost your mind?! To raise her hope? I don't want to lie to her."

"You're a dork, Adrien."

"Plagg, I really can't think about any other girl in this way. You know I love Ladybug!"

"A very stupid dork…" Plagg mumbled. If only this boy knew… So many problems would be solved…

"Did you say something?" Adrien spotted.

"But Ladybug doesn't love you." Plagg replied.

"I know… She told me…" Adrien sighed. "She loves someone else."

"So, this is hopeless…" Plagg summed up. "You love Ladybug, so you won't reciprocate Marinette's feelings, and Ladybug loves some guy, so she won't reciprocate _your_ feelings. So, either you stop loving Ladybug and give Marinette a chance, or you have to hope that Ladybug will stop loving this mysterious guy that you don't even know."

"I'm so glad that I can always count on you when it comes to comfort me." Adrien murmured ironically.

"At your service."

"I honestly doubt it."

"You'll see, kid." Plagg grinned in reply.


	2. Invisible Marinette

Monday at school was one endless nightmare for Adrien. He had heard so many comments about Jagged Stone's findings in Marinette's room that at the end of the day he wanted to hit anyone who even mentioned her name. Or the name of the rocker.

Worse, he noticed that Marinette seemed to discover how to become invisible. She just became unnoticeable. It was so unimaginable that after all she sat in the classroom behind him, she had to pass him by if she wanted to reach her desk. In result, he had not seen her for a whole day, because he didn't want to turn back during the lessons so as not to put her – and himself – in an additional embarrassment.

He eased all accumulated frustration during his fencing classes. Even though physical activity helped him a bit, his teacher pointed out that he should control his aggressive attitude in duels. Easy to say… Adrien told himself that people would stop talking about this at last. Besides, there had been so many girls already attracted to him. People always talked. And they always forgot after a while. They would forget about this case as well…

But Tuesday was similar. Again, he didn't meet Marinette again. On Wednesday, she appeared on the horizon, flashing by with Alya. On Thursday he began to hunt her just to say _'hello'_ to her. Without success. On Friday afternoon, he became apathetic.

"Is something wrong?" Plagg asked with a grin, perfectly aware of the sources of this apathy.

"Go away." Adrien murmured unfriendly.

"A wonderful spectrum of feelings comes out of you." Plagg continued teasing.

"I told you to leave me alone."

"But I can't watch you suffer."

"Yeah, right! You love doing that!" Adrien replied irritably, and Plagg ate more camembert to avoid answering. "And I'm not suffering! I've just had a worse day, that's all."

"A worse _week_ rather." Plagg mumbled stuck with cheese.

Adrien looked unfriendly at his kwami. Why Plagg was naming everything so directly? Besides, Plagg was right at one thing – Adrien suffered. But why? He didn't love Marinette. He just… missed her so much. He didn't even realize how her presence – those brief moments filled with her voice, laughter or gaze – was important to him.

x x x

"Why is she avoiding me?" Adrien asked.

"It's rather obvious…" Plagg replied.

"She could talk to me at least."

"I wouldn't count on that. You know, kid… I don't think if anyone wants to be the talk of the school. And Marinette was hurt twice. By the schoolmates who have been talking about her broken heart all the time. And by you."

"Me?" Adrien asked in surprise.

"Kid, you didn't go to her immediately after finding out. You couldn't tell her more clearly that you don't love her."

"You think that's what it's about?"

"I have no idea. I'm not an expert of girls. Especially nowadays…"

"Me neither." Adrien sighed. "But maybe you're right. Maybe she understood it that way."

"So? That's what you wanted. I told you to ask her out, but you didn't want to raise her hopes. Well, it seems you succeeded."

"Plagg, you're killing me."

"Why? I don't get it. We've agreed that you don't love her, so you should be happy now, that she's already aware of that and you don't need to tell her that in her face. It's done, kid. Go back to thinking about Ladybug." Plagg summed up sarcastically.

"You're doing that on purpose?"

"What?" Kwami asked with an innocent face.

"You say it all in such a way that I feel guilty."

"Not at all. If you feel guilty, talk to your conscience. I'm only here for donkey work. Literally donkey… And I'm a cat…" Plagg mumbled.

"Like Cat Noir…" Adrien finished thoughtfully, and suddenly it dawned on him: "Do you think she meant me there on the balcony?"

"I do not know what you're talking about."

"Right, don't pretend!" Adrien winced. "I talked to Marinette on the balcony recently and she said she was in love with someone. Do you think she meant me?"

"She doesn't look like a girl who changes feelings too easily. Maybe she was talking about you." Plagg answered carefully.

"So, she's never had too much hope." Adrien summed up.

And suddenly he felt sorry when he remembered Marinette talking about her heart troubles. He was the cause of this sadness in her eyes and in her voice. And he didn't feel good with knowing that.


	3. The talk

Saturday's photo session was a disaster. Adrien didn't even try to convince the photographer that they would try to repeat the photoshoot. He was afraid that as soon as Gabriel Agreste learnt about his son's insubordination, it would forbid all social outings. As if he let him go out at all…

Adrien threw himself to the bed, closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. It didn't help him, however, to distance from his kwami, which, after satisfying the first "cheese hunger", started badgering him again.

"What else do you need to ruin to make you understand?" Plagg asked sarcastically.

"Plagg, you'd better stop." Adrien drawled, close to lose control.

"I'm just telling you that you should pull yourself together quickly, because in a moment you will ruin everything in your life and you will be fixing it for years."

"So, what should I do?!" Adrien exclaimed irritably. "Marinette doesn't even talk to me!"

"As if you had no options of talking to her…" Plagg muttered.

Adrien finally caught the hint.

"You're right! Claws out!"

"Why did I interfere?!" Plagg groaned, jumping into the ring.

x x x

A few minutes later Cat Noir was on the rooftop next to Marinette's balcony. That was the same place where Ladybug had told him about her feelings. The same place where Marinette had healed his broken heart. Today there were no candles or flowers, but his heart hurt even more than that day.

He glanced at Marinette's balcony. Just like then. And – like then – she was standing there, leaning against the railing. His heart started beating faster. Seconds later he was there.

She turned around, scared, and, like then, she breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that it was only him.

"Hello, Cat Noir." she smiled sadly. "What's up?"

"Fine. Hawkmoth was very kind for us this week."

"Don't say you miss fighting against his super-villains?" she smiled.

"No, I don't miss fight." he sighed, squatting on the railing next to her, just like then.

"Oh, right… You haven't seen Ladybug for a long time, huh?"

"Yes. I mean no. I mean yes." he was confused. "How are you?" he changed the subject to hide his embarrassment.

"Don't even ask. I had a terrible week." She sighed.

"I heard…" he muttered in reply.

"You know too?" she winced. "Of course, you know. Everyone knows."

"And that your boyfriend…" he started, but she interrupted immediately:

"He's not my boyfriend." she hesitated and added after a while: "And he will never be."

"Why?" he asked. Quite silly question, because he knew he wouldn't be.

"Oh, Cat… It's obvious that he doesn't love me. He didn't even have to say that. You know, it's good that it happened. He found out. Like everyone else. It's done. In the end, I'll stop loving him somehow."

"How you want to do that?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know yet. It would be nice if he had any flaws."

"He must have some!"

"I haven't found any, and believe me, I tried very hard…"

"Well, that doesn't sound good."

"I can handle." she said bravely. "It must be hard for him too."

"How do you know that?" He asked, and his heart sank. Even at that moment, she was thinking about him? And she cared about how he felt?

"You know… He was my friend. And now he knows I fell in love with him. And he doesn't know how to deal with it."

"Wh… Why are you saying that he _was_ your friend?" he stammered. "Isn't he anymore?"

"Oh, Cat… I don't think that friendship with Adrien makes any sense now. I've never been particularly relaxed with him, and now it's practically impossible. No. It doesn't make sense. I have to bear the consequences of my stupid decisions."

"Why are you so strict to yourself?" Cat Noir asked, still thinking over those terrible words she had just said.

"I stopped being a romantic. I'm starting to be a realist. He was always out of my league. Now at least I don't have to feed myself with unjustified hope. It's done."

She used the term "it's done" again. He felt uncomfortable with it. It was as if it was something definitive, and he wasn't quite able to reconcile himself with the irreversibility of the decisions that Marinette was making now.

"And how's your case with Ladybug?" she asked with a half-smile, changing the subject.

He blushed. Marinette had a broken heart – by him by the way… - and she was still worrying about his heart affairs? How could he live without Marinette's friendship now?

"Ah, Ladybug!" he sighed. "Yeah… She doesn't love me. She loves someone else."

"Maybe she'll change her mind?" Marinette turned to him.

"She doesn't look like a girl who easily changes her feelings." He said, unknowingly repeating words that Plagg had used in reference to Marinette.

"Don't lose your hope, Cat." She whispered and stroked his cheek. "Good night."

And she went back to her room. He stayed frozen on the railing with flushed cheeks. His skin burned especially in a place she touched with her hand.


	4. The answer

Talking to Marinette didn't help Adrien. Now he was so confused that he had the feeling that his head would explode. What was it? He loved Ladybug! Why Marinette's touch caused such a reaction?

He tried to explain to himself that this is because Marinette had told him about the end of her friendship with him as Adrien. He must have been just shocked by this information. Maybe her touch influenced him so much because he was aware that maybe they were talking for the last time?

Following days only confirmed his opinion when he still couldn't even catch eye contact with Marinette at school. Alya, seconding Marinette, resigned temporarily even from the company of her boyfriend because Adrien held together with Nino. Adrien hoped that thanks to keeping close to Nino he would find an opportunity to talk to Marinette, but she proved to be smarter. She stayed with Alya in a distance.

And he missed her more and more. He appreciated all those little things that made his life just… more colourful? He lost his appetite, he couldn't focus on fencing classes, and photo sessions were just a disaster – unless they were kept in a grave tone. Even Natalia for the first time in her life forced him to eat a meal because he was fading fast.

Ladybug also noticed his strange apathy. After the fight, she stayed for a while, instead of escaping as usual.

"Is everything ok, Cat?" she asked concerned.

"Sure, why are you asking?"

"You're distracted." she noticed. "And… I don't know. Like depressed? I hope it's not because of me?"

"Why because of you?" He asked in a strange voice.

"Well, because of what I told you… You know… Then on the balcony…" she remembered and blushed.

"No, Ladybug. It's not because of you." he replied with surprise watching her blush. It was something new! Ladybug never blushed because of him.

"Oh, so that's fine." She nodded. "I'll be going before it turns out that I'm Cinderella in a darned apron."

He laughed at her joke.

"Then I would like to find at least one of your glass shoes." He winked at her.

"You're fine, indeed, Kitty." she laughed. "See you next time!"

Next second she was gone. And for the first time in his life he didn't feel what he had always felt so far after her disappearance.

x x x

Another week passed, and Adrien was thinking only about one thing – that tomorrow he would visit Marinette again, as Cat Noir. He missed talking to her, and there was no chance that she would speak to him when he was Adrien. For a moment he even hoped that as Cat Noir he would persuade her that she would still be friends with Adrien. But he abandoned the idea immediately. It would be a bit like lying to a friend…

He wanted to talk about it with the Plagg, but since his last visit to Marinette, his kwami changed the habits and instead of continuing to taunt over him or to treat him with sarcastic comments, Plagg simply remained silent. Was everyone against him?

"You could say something!" Adrien accosted Plagg.

"What should I say?" kwami replied wryly. "All I had to say in this matter, I told you a week ago. You were to pull yourself together."

"It doesn't work. I'm so confused."

"Well, it's not my problem."

"You're wrong. It is your problem as well." Adrien said sternly. "I'm ruining everything. Soon I'll start to bungle as Cat Noir."

"A blackmail? Seriously, kid? I didn't know you from this side."

"Help me, Plagg."

"I can't." Plagg was adamant. "I can feel emotions, but I can't change them on request."

"I don't want to change them. I want to understand them."

"And I have to explain to you what you feel?"

"As a specialist in emotions…" Adrien smiled shyly.

"I don't know if you're ready."

"I can't be more ready already."

"Poor joke, Adrien." Plagg grimaced.

"So? Will you help me? Please…" Adrien asked.

"Eh… I'll regret that…"

"I promise, you won't."

"I bet I will…" Plagg glanced at Adrien, then sighed overdramatically and said: "Well, you are in love, kid."

"I know that." Adrien murmured.

"With Marinette." Plagg added. "Not with Ladybug."

"What?!"

"Well, I'm telling you what I see and what I feel. Now do what you want with that."

"But how? How Marinette?"

"I've tried to tell you that a thousand times, but you always jumped up with these texts '_She's just my friend._' Well, how long you can do such things! You have been drowning that for months! So now you have it."

And Plagg took care of his camembert, leaving Adrien a field for meditation.


	5. Invitation

_And now we have the matching point with "The mystery of Chloe B." Dialogues must remain the same, but you can compare how they look like from Adrien's perspective :-) Enjoy!_

x x x

Adrien rarely came to school so early. But that day he couldn't wait to talk to Marinette again. If he failed, he planned to meet her in the evening as a Cat Noir.

He got out of the car and didn't notice any of his friends. Suddenly he heard a rustling of wheels and a white limousine stopped in front of the school. It had to be Chloe. Soon he heard how Sabrina greeted her best friend, giving her a birthday wish. So, he went to them to join the wishes.

"Hi, Chloe!" he greeted.

"Adriekiins!" Chloe threw her arms around his neck as usually. He didn't like this, so he moved back as always.

"I've heard today is your birthday. Best wishes, Chloe!" he said instead.

"Oh, thanks! You know what? I've been thinking about a birthday party. Do you remember that party I organised once at the Grand Paris Hotel?"

"Of course, I do. That was the party impossible to forget…" he replied, remembering that he had danced with Marinette for the first time at Chloe's party. He felt shivers at the memory of this dance.

"What do you mean?" Chloe frowned.

"You know… That whole situation with superheroes…" Adrien answered with the first idea that crossed his mind.

"Ah, right. I'm not sure if you remember, but _I helped_ them very much. I'd say that _I am_ a superhero who doesn't need the special costume."

Adrien laughed and wriggled out of an answer. He wanted to leave, but suddenly Chloe suggested:

"What would you say if I do this again? Would you come?"

"Are you going to invite all the colleagues again?" he asked suddenly interested. That could be a great opportunity to meet Marinette at last! And maybe even dance with her?

"I'm not sure if all of them. There are some people I really can't stand!"

"Chloe… You promised…" he sighed.

"But it's impossible to like everyone!" She rolled her eyes. "Even that namby-pamby Marinette Clumsy-Cheng doesn't like everyone. Even though all people think that she likes everyone."

"Marinette doesn't like someone?" Adrien asked surprised with warm feelings in his heart when he said her name.

"Well, _me_?"

"Chloe, Chloe…" Adrien sighed, and looked at her meaningful. She would never change! "Talking of the devil…" Adrien added and waved towards Marinette who was just passing them by, with Alya, of course. "Hey there!" he greeted trying to sound easy. Chloe snorted irritably.

"Hi!" Alya replied with a smile.

"Hello…" Marinette mumbled shyly. She spoke to him for the first time from that terrible day.

"Have you heard that today is Chloe's birthday?" Adrien asked just to make them stay.

Marinette and Alya stopped halfway.

"Happy birthday, Chloe!" they said simultaneously and looked at each other amused. They burst out laughing.

"Chloe is organising her birthday party. I think all of us will be invited, right Chloe?" Adrien added quickly.

He placed more and more hopes on that party. He was so determined to find an opportunity to dance with her. To talk to her. Even though she had been doing all she could to avoid him.

"Oh, I haven't talked to my daddy yet, Adrien!" Chloe denied.

"But you said…" Adrien tried again.

"Isn't it obvious?" Alya rolled her eyes. "The party will be only for the elite, right Chloe?"

Adrien froze. It wouldn't end well. Attacked by malice, Chloe will certainly be offended, and all his plans of dancing with Marinette today would be ruined! Meanwhile – to general surprise – Chloe announced in a cheerful tone:

"The more the merrier! I'll call papa right now. He never says 'no' to me… So, see you at seven!"

The other three looked at each other in surprise. Of course, Marinette lowered her eyes in the next second. Chloe walked away with the phone in her hand. Before Adrien could formulate any question to continue a chat with the girls, Marinette grabbed Alya's hand and headed toward the classroom. Adrien stayed alone. But with a plan for the evening.


	6. Birthday party

Adrien couldn't wait for the evening. He'd do anything today to finally talk to Marinette. If necessary, he would force her to the dance with him!

They met in front of the Grand Paris Hotel entrance. Nino was hugging Alya, and Marinette stayed away a bit, with her eyes fixed on her shoes. But Adrien didn't care. He had a plan!

However, he didn't foresee one thing – crazy excess of Chloe. He barely crossed the threshold, she threw herself on his neck. She was so excited that her eyes glittered.

"Adriekiins! You won't believe it!"

"I'm sure I won't…" he laughed to hide his embarrassment. He glanced quickly at Marinette, but she still avoided looking at him.

"I couldn't wait for you to come! I must tell you that! You won't believe it!"

"You've already said that. What happened?"

"My mother sent me a letter!"

"Your mom's back?" Adrien asked in surprise.

"No. She wrote that letter some time ago and it was to be delivered on my fifteenth birthday. And today I received it! You can't guess what was in it!"

"I'm not even going to try!" Adrien laughed, and Nino and Alya exchanged quick glances.

"It turns out that our mothers were friends!" she informed him happily.

He didn't expect this. Of course, he remembered that his mother often talked quite warmly about Chloe's mother, but he always explained that simply they were both wives of famous people and it was a thread of understanding between them. In the meantime, it turned out that they really were friends.

"Oh, that's surprising, indeed…" he muttered carefully, having no idea what Chloe was up to.

"And they were really close friends! Soulmates. They even had a plan to…" she stopped for a better effect and finished with a wide smile: "No, not a plan… Even better! They got us engaged in cradles!"

"Wh-what?!" Adrien exclaimed in shock.

"They got us engaged in cradles." Chloe repeated happily.

Adrien gave a quick glance at Marinette. She looked at him with eyes full of sorrow and some reproach. But what was it his fault that his and Chloe's mothers had stupid ideas fifteen years ago? Who would care about it! Times had changed!

"Women lose their heads over cradles." Nino commented. "I won't let you buy such a thing, remember Alya!"

Alya glanced at her boyfriend in surprise, then suddenly burst out laughing. Adrien gave him a look of gratitude. How fortunate that somebody naturally turned it all into a joke! But he wasn't laughing when he saw that Marinette had dragged Alya aside, and he was abandoned to Chloe, because Nino had also disappeared under the pretext of getting something to drink for everyone.

x x x

Adrien's patience was running out. He knew that he was losing Marinette. Time wasn't his ally. But Chloe couldn't stop talking! He didn't know how to deal with her. In the end, he couldn't stand it and just said:

"Excuse me for a moment, Chloe!"

And he just left. Or rather, he escaped. Towards Alya and Marinette. He saw that the girls noticed him. And he also saw that Marinette looked down immediately and folded her hands.

"Please, help me!" he joked to relieve tension.

"What happened? Chloe bought you a wedding suit?" Alya joked.

He blushed. Marinette glanced at him quickly and immediately cast eyes down.

"It's not funny, Alya." He replied seriously. "I have no idea what happened to her."

"It's obvious!" Alya snorted. "It looks like she decided that you'd be her husband."

"But she's not even in love with me!" he was surprised.

"How do you know that?" Marinette asked quietly.

"Who's talking about love?" Alya laughed.

Adrien was surprised by their reaction. He didn't know to whom he should answer first. He looked from Alya to Marinette and back. Finally, he concluded that Alya's question was more intriguing.

"You know, I'd prefer to marry a girl I love. And who loves me back."

"Thank God, half of the Paris female population is in love with you, so you won't have a problem to find such a wife…" Alya summed up.

"They're in love with a popular model." He muttered reluctantly.

"That one you are, by the way…" Alya was merciless.

"It's just a façade." He winced.

"I'm trying to explain you that for most of girls this is not a problem, that's all. And it can be enough for the beginning. All you have to do is to choose."

"Alya, Alya… Love is not about appearances! And Chloe acts like only they count…"

"But how do you know she doesn't really love you?" Alya asked and he remembered that Marinette had already asked about it earlier.

"Chloe is like a sister to me." He confessed. "Besides, when she looks at me, she doesn't have in her eyes that something…" he stopped embarrassed, because he almost said: 'that something Marinette has.' Instead he finished awkwardly, after a glance at Marinette: "… she should have."

"Yhm…" Alya murmured.

"I think you should talk to her." Marinette said suddenly, still staring at her feet.

"You think I haven't tried?" he sighed, trying to hide how happy he was that she joined their conversation. "She doesn't listen…"

"Right. Today it's hopeless." Marinette replied, glanced at him briefly. "She's too excited about the letter from her mother. I think she might be deaf to any arguments."

"You're right." Adrien nodded and suddenly decided to go to action. "But she's not blind. Come on, let's dance!"

And before Marinette realised what was happening, he took her to the dancefloor.


	7. The dance

The DJ had just played a rock ballad and Adrien smiled to himself. He remembered last time he had danced with Marinette – it was the same place, not so long time ago… This time he embraced Marinette pulling her closer. She blushed. A bit reluctant, but she finally put her arms around his neck and hid her face in his shirt. He smiled even wider.

They began to sway to the music.

He finally was with Marinette without inseparable Alya. Recently, he felt as if Alya was as a bonus to Marinette. How could she find time to meet Nino, if she spent the whole time with Marinette? He chuckled amused with that thought. Marinette looked up in surprise. He immediately became serious and stared at her bluebell eyes. It lasted a few seconds, or maybe years – an uncountable, magical moment.

He smiled at her and she returned the smile. Then she hugged him again and he leaned over to put his cheek on her forehead. After a while Marinette had to lose her sense of reality, because he suddenly felt her fingers on his hair, slightly moving between strands. He felt a bit dizzy from her touch. He closed his eyes and embraced her closer. And kept dancing with her.

The DJ's courtesy didn't last long. Nino set several ballads in a row and ran to Alya to take the opportunity to dance with his girlfriend. But soon the repertoire was changed to dance music and Adrien regretfully loosened his embraces. They looked at each other with Marinette, suddenly both embarrassed.

"Let's get something to drink." he suggested.

"I…" Marinette stammered, lowering her eyes again. "I think I'll look for Alya."

"She's dancing with Nino." He answered quickly. What else could he do to keep her by his side?

"But… I'd… I'd better go."

"Marinette…" he whispered, grabbing her wrist. "Please, don't go."

She shook her head. But she didn't take her hand away. She stood staring at his hand, clenched in her hand. She still avoided his eyes. He didn't understand this. They had just danced together a moment ago and it was wonderful. And now they were back to the starting point again. What could he do to fix his mistake? How could he convince her that his feelings had made U-turn?

"We need to talk." he said determinedly.

"No." she answered quickly. "We don't have to."

"Marinette. It can't be like that!"

"It can. It must."

"No. I need to talk to you, Marinette."

"We have nothing to say here." she cut short.

"Please." he whispered, and he sounded so miserably that she glanced quickly at him.

And again, they stared at each other for a moment that could last for years but lasted only a few seconds. The tension in her hand eased and Adrien firmly took her hand, braiding the fingers of their hands. She blushed.

"Let's go." He smiled and led her toward the terrace.


	8. Confession

They stood at the railing. Adrien smiled to himself. He had stood like this with Marinette by his side several times already. By another railing though – on her balcony. And as Cat Noir. And she was always more relaxed with him as Cat Noir than him as Adrien.

Marinette folded her arms – as if in a defensive position – and looked at him expectantly. She didn't help him with her silence. But he knew he didn't deserve help from her. He behaved like a total dork and now he had to bear the consequences. In the worst case, she would reject him. And he would have to live with it.

"Marinette… I'd like to apologise for… you know… that day."

"I don't get it. Why are you apologising?" she asked in surprise, lowering her arms.

"Well… I should talk to you then."

"Adrien…" she whispered his name so softly, that his heart started beating faster. It was like when she had touched his cheek. "Please, don't feel like you should do anything for me. Or don't feel guilty. I'll cope with that. I've almost coped. Somehow."

"But I don't want you to cope with that!" he blurted before he thought.

"You don't?" she asked quietly.

"I don't, Marinette." He repeated calmly. "And I didn't like your way of doing that."

"I couldn't find any other way." She sighed, casting down her eyes.

"What if…?" he started but stopped embarrassed.

"If what?" she spotted and looked at him concerned.

"What if there's another way?"

"How?" she asked suspiciously.

"You could go out with me and find out that I'm very boring."

"Bad idea." She replied shortly.

"Why?" Adrien asked almost breathless. Asking her out costed him so much, and he failed.

"A date with you may confirm my feelings. And the plan will fail."

"It depends on what plan you mean." He murmured.

"I don't follow."

"You're not helping." He sighed. "OK then. I'll tell you. But please, don't be cruel."

"Cruel? Me?" she asked in astonishment, but then she looked at his tense face and added: "OK. I promise not to be cruel."

"But it's so hard…"

"If I knew, what you want to say, I would help you. Really."

"I… I love you, Marinette." He stammered finally.

"Oh… I didn't expect that…" she whispered, and he looked at her in amazement. He didn't expect such an answer.

"So, what did you expect?" he asked after a while.

"That you'd try to convince me to be your friend again."

"In fact, I would like to convince you to that as well…" he said with a smile.

"But what about Chloe?"

"Chloe?"

"Your engagement and all of that…"

"You don't think that I took that letter seriously?" he laughed.

"But… But your mom wanted…" she stuttered.

"My mom wanted me to be happy. And that I found someone who loved me." He added, touching her cheek. "And she told me that personally. Not over the cradle, but when I was mature enough to understand what she was saying to me."

"I think there would be quite a lot of girls who love you." She gave him a half-smile.

"They all love an image of me. Or money. Or that I'm famous."

"It's hard to call them good reasons."

"Yeah…"

"Well…" Marinette smiled suddenly, and Adrien realised that her smile was so sweet and charming that he almost forgot what they were talking about. "What would you say if someone loved you _despite_ all those undesirable circumstances?"

"Someone like you?" he asked, taking her in his arms.

"Someone like me…" she nodded.

"But you said you were over me."

"I lied." She winked to him.

"You don't lie."

"I wanted you to feel better. That you wouldn't feel obliged."

"I don't feel obliged. I feel in love. And with reciprocity."

"Definitely with reciprocity." She smiled again.

"That's what I hoped for!" he laughed happy. "I love you, Marinette."

"I love you too, Adrien." She said it finally.

And then he leaned over and kissed her.

x x x

"Finally!" Adrien's pocket sighed with relief.

"Plagg, you dork!" Marinette's purse squeaked in reply.

Marinette moved back from Adrien as soon as she had heard Tikki's voice. It made her blood freeze. She looked terrified at Adrien and caught his equally terrified gaze fixed on her face. They didn't understand yet what had just happened or what it meant to them.

"What are the chances they haven't heard?" Adrien's pocket muttered.

"None." Marinette whispered.

In reply to her words, a little black head of a tiny cat showed up from Adrien's shirt. Marinette held out both hands and took Plagg.

"You're so cute that I could stroke you all day and I wouldn't have enough!" she said warmly, and Plagg grinned in answer gladly offering his head for scratching his ears, giving Adrien a triumphal look.

"Why haven't you ever told me something so nice?" Adrien asked jealously.

"I've told you that I love you." Marinette replied calmly, scratching Plagg's ears. "Don't be greedy."

"Er… Marinette?" Adrien asked with a little hesitation.

"What's up?" she answered inattentively.

"Don't you want to ask me something?"

"Like what?"

"About Plagg, maybe?"

"I assume it's your kwami." She shrugged still focused on stroking Plagg, who was perfectly contented on her hands that he expressed with quiet purring. "Good for him that he's not mine. I would stroke him to death."

"It would be a wonderful death." Plagg murmured.

"Uhm… Marinette?"

"What's up, Adrien?" She answered again, a bit impatiently. "I'll give him back soon. Promise."

"Take your time." Plagg cut in.

"You don't want to tell me something?" Adrien asked hesitantly.

"You haven't guessed yet?" she was surprised, opening her purse. "This is Tikki."

Silence.

"Tikki, get out!" Marinette added, again in that impatient tone. "It's your fault, not mine, so you can't pretend that you're not there."

"But Marinette…" Adrien tried again.

"Yes? What's going on, Adrien?"

"Why… Why are you so calm?"

Marinette looked at him thoughtfully.

"Huh, good question…" she replied after a while. "I don't know… But everything seems to be quite logical and I accepted it. All in all, it's good, because I don't have to break Cat Noir's heart anymore. Although I should first give you a little lecture on infidelity."

"What?!" Adrien exclaimed.

"Well… Actually, you kissed me behind Ladybug's back."

"To kiss you behind Ladybug's back, I would have to turn you around." Adrien answered back, finally realising that Marinette was just teasing him.

"That could work…" she nodded and laughed.

And to Plagg's disappointment they began kissing again.

x x x

**A little bonus…**

"Hey, you're crushing me!" Plagg protested but they ignored him and hugged even tighter. "Eh… Kids…"

"Plagg, you idiot! Hide!" Tikki squeaked.

"Where? You won't be able to push a needle between them. Not saying about a poor kwami. Can you move a little?"

"There's no extra space, Plagg." Tikki protested.

"Oh, Tikki. We've been in worse places…" Plagg grinned and winked to Tikki.

"Plagg, I warn you. Paws off!"

"Recently…"

"Recently was recently. Anyway. Shut up!" Tikki cut short.

"Mmmmmm…" Plagg murmured.

"Plaaagg…"

"Mmmmmm…" Plagg tried again.

"Oh, OK. You won." She gave up.

"Mmmmmm…"

"Mmmmmm…"

:-)


End file.
